Google Helps WWF Stop Wildlife Crime

A new grant provides funding for state-of-the-art technology to protect tigers, rhinos and elephants

Efforts to fight wildlife crime received an important boost thanks to a new grant from Google. WWF will use the grant to adapt state-of-the-art technologies for the protection of endangered species like elephants, rhinos and tigers. These innovative new tools will give rangers in protected areas and local communities a welcome advantage against the ruthless and deadly gangs of criminals targeting wildlife.

Technology to fight poaching

WWF received a $5 million grant as part of Google’s new Global Impact Awards, which provides support to organizations using technology and innovative approaches to address some of the toughest human challenges.

“We face an unprecedented poaching crisis. The killings are way up. We need solutions that are as sophisticated as the threats we face. This pushes the envelope in the fight against wildlife crime.”

The grant enables WWF to test advanced but easily-replicable technologies and create an overarching system to curb poaching—an important complement to the work WWF, partners and governments are already undertaking.

Remote aerial survey systems, wildlife tagging technology and ranger patrolling guided by analytical software like the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) will be integrated to increase the detection and deterrence of poaching in vulnerable sites in Asia and Africa. Our goal is to create an efficient, effective network that can be adopted globally.

Wildlife in crisis

Increasing demand for wildlife from wealthy consumers, especially in Asia, is fuelling a poaching crisis that is emptying the world’s forests and oceans. High profits and low risks have allowed wildlife crime to multiply into an illegal trade worth $7-10 billion annually.

And everyone pays the price.

Decades of conservation gains are jeopardized and fragile ecosystems are compromised. Nations are robbed of a vital natural resource and local livelihoods are affected. Law enforcement and justice is compromised and regional security is threatened.

The grant announcement comes during WWF and TRAFFIC’s campaign to elevate the global response to wildlife crime. Recent champions on the issue include Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Under her leadership, the U.S. State Department is marking today as Wildlife Conservation Day and calling for people to pledge their support to respect and protect wildlife by stopping wildlife crime.

Every part of the tiger—from whisker to tail—is traded in illegal wildlife markets. Poaching is the most immediate threat to wild tiger survival.

Tens of a thousands of elephants are killed every year for their ivory tusks. Though international trade in ivory has been banned since 1989, thriving but unregulated ivory markets in a number of countries fuel an growing illegal international trade.

At least one rhino is killed every day due to the mistaken belief that rhino horn can cure diseases. The main market is now in Vietnam where there is a newly emerged belief that rhino horn cures cancer.